Looking for a change of scenery this summer? The Northern Emirates offer plenty of reasons to venture beyond Dubai, from beachfront resorts and family-friendly staycations to new dining destinations, cultural experiences and seasonal activities. Whether you’re planning a weekend escape to Ras Al Khaimah, a foodie trip to Fujairah or a relaxing break in Ajman or Umm Al Quwain, this guide rounds up the best things to do, see and book across the Northern Emirates this summer 2026.

Whether you’re after an all-inclusive beach escape, a desert retreat or a glamping experience, the Northern Emirates have no shortage of family-friendly staycation deals for UAE residents this summer. Here’s where to book:

• Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah – a beachfront luxury stay with an ocean-inspired kids and teens club, kids’ water playground and adults-only infinity pool. Kids under 5 eat free with a paying adult. From Dhs700 per room, per night.
• The Cove Rotana Resort – a tranquil Arabian Gulf retreat with aqua fun waterslides, complimentary half-board upgrade and kids stay and dine for free. From Dhs525 per room, per night.
• Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island – UAE residents can enjoy an overnight stay, breakfast for two and dinner with cocktails at Ula from Dhs850 per night, plus access to Wibit, RAK’s largest overwater floating park.
• Sofitel Al Hamra – French luxury meets Arabian retreat, with the Northern Emirates’ longest lagoon pool. Book by June 30 for 25% off stays until September 30. From Dhs900 per room, per night.
• InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa – an all-inclusive offer covering buffet breakfast, dining credit, unlimited drinks and free dining for under-6s. From Dhs1,170 per room, per night.
• The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert – a desert-based Family Adventure Package with private pool villas, daily breakfast and dinner, stargazing, wildlife feeding and horse riding (use code FML). From Dhs2,050 per room, per night.
• DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island – the UAE’s award-winning family resort, with seven pools, a 650-metre private beach, Chuckles Kids Club and 13 restaurants and bars. From Dhs850 per room, per night.
• Anantara Mina Ras Al Khaimah Resort – overwater villas with private pools on a private peninsula; UAE residents save up to 18%, with kids under 11 staying and dining free. From Dhs734 per room, per night.
• Rixos Bab Al Bahr – an ultra all-inclusive pyramid-style resort on Marjan Island with 15 restaurants and bars, Rixy Kids Club, a dedicated Teens Club, and two children under 12 staying free. From Dhs549 per room, per night.

• Fairmont Ajman – a 200-metre private beach, swim-up pool bar, and family-friendly all-inclusive or 15%-off beach escape packages. Football fans can catch World Cup action at XOLO sports bar. From Dhs570 per room, per night.
• Ajman Saray – a traditional beachfront resort with six restaurants, two pools and a shaded kids’ club pool, plus half-board, full-board and all-inclusive packages. From Dhs554 per room, per night.
• Al Zorah Beach Resort – set on an 18-hole championship golf course, with a minimum two-night stay unlocking a room upgrade, daily breakfast, welcome drinks and 20% off dining and spa. From Dhs1,050 per room, per night.

• Naäma Beach Villas & Spa, Fujairah – 44 private-pool villas with butler service; book and stay by June 30 for breakfast, Dhs300 resort credit, welcome wine and daily wellness sessions. From Dhs3,900 per villa, per night.
• Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort – a long-standing East Coast family favourite, recently renovated, with 20% off dining, 50% off spa and free kids’ stays (use code 11P). From Dhs633 per room, per night.
• InterContinental Fujairah – book any room and get the second room half price, plus free dining for under-6s and 50% off for ages 6-12. From Dhs744 per room, per night.
• Fairmont Fujairah – The Complete Resort Escape offer includes free stays for two children until August 31, with all-inclusive dining and unlimited house drinks. From Dhs729 per room, per night.
• Palace Beach Resort Fujairah – up to 20% off rooms and suites, daily breakfast, 20% off spa treatments and the Qix Club for younger guests. From Dhs359 per room, per night.
• Sandy Beach Resort – a no-frills favourite facing Snoopy Island, famous for watersports; stay three nights midweek and get the fourth free. From Dhs734 per room, per night.

• Casa Mikoko – a Zanzibar-inspired glamping experience of five mangrove-side chalets, three with private plunge pools, ideal for kayak tours and paddleboarding. From Dhs1,200 per chalet, per night.
• Vida Beach Resort – a boutique seaside stay with pet-friendly rooms, a kids’ club, tennis court and spa; book by October 15 for 20% off and daily breakfast. From Dhs300 per room, per night.

For families looking for a deeper dive, What’s On’s review of Rixos Bab Al Bahr on Marjan Island highlights the resort’s 2025 refurbishment – overhauled rooms, kids club, spa and gym – plus its Blue Flag-certified beach (one of only two in RAK), genuinely standout family suites with a separate “no-adults” kids’ room, 15 restaurants and bars, and a refurbished Rixy Kids Club running wood workshops, kite flying and discos. All-inclusive rates start from AED 799, with day passes from AED 210 (Mon-Thu) and AED 250 (Fri-Sun).

Sharjah’s Aljada district is fast becoming a serious dining destination, with three notable new openings:

• The Char’d Club – a fire-forward restaurant drawing on South African braai, Argentinian parrilla and Australian barbecue traditions, with a signature Old School Burger made from 250-day aged O’Connor beef. After 10.30pm it transforms into a late-night dessert lounge.
• tashas – the beloved UAE café brand lands at Vida – 04 Aljada, with its classic comfort-food menu (brioche French toast, Texas salad, salmon teriyaki) alongside exclusive Sharjah-only dishes.
• Isabella’s Street Kitchen – the sister restaurant to Dubai’s Isabella Cucina Italiana, centred around a wood-burning pizza oven, with spicy rigatoni rosa, Diavolo pizza and Isabella steak Tagliata (AED 250), plus an alcohol-free aperitivo programme.

Looking for things to do in the Northern Emirates this summer beyond the beach? What’s On’s guide to creative classes and workshops covers:

• Arabic calligraphy – free Open Studio sessions at Sharjah Art Foundation’s Al Dahaid Art Centre, teaching qalam technique and letterform proportions to beginners and enthusiasts alike.
• Learning an instrument – Music Zone, the Northern Emirates’ first dedicated music school, offers piano, violin, guitar, drums, oud and Arabic singing for all ages.
• Performing arts – Anqa in Fujairah runs dance (Bollywood, hip-hop, contemporary, fusion), music and art classes, plus summer creative camps for all ages and abilities.
• Pottery – Creative Hands, RAK’s new ceramics studio, offers wheel throwing, hand-building, bisque painting and quick ceramic keychain sessions, plus kids’ and couples’ workshops.
• Embroidery meets photography – Sharjah Art Foundation’s free Stitched Perspectives workshop at Kalba Art Centre (June 7) explores embroidering directly onto printed photographs.
• Candle making – La Plume Candles runs social, French dessert-inspired candle workshops across Ajman and Sharjah, from Dhs229.

It’s not just the Northern Emirates that come alive in summer – the whole UAE has its perks during the hotter months. What’s On’s roundup of why UAE summer beats winter almost everywhere else includes quieter roads and faster commutes across the country, temperature-controlled pools, scandalously good summer staycation deals, mosquito-free evenings thanks to summer aestivation, lighter inboxes, the simple joy of air conditioning, sunrise paddleboarding sessions, and the return of the popular Mallathon indoor running series across UAE malls from June to September.

Don’t forget Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) also returns this year, running July 2 to August 30, with up to 90% off retail, daily Dhs10,000 shop-and-win prizes, the return of Modhesh World, Restaurant Week deals, kids-go-free offers and concerts including Davido — easily reachable as a day trip from anywhere in the Northern Emirates.

RAK isn’t just a weekend escape anymore – it’s becoming a genuine food destination. What’s On’s 72-hour RAK foodie guide highlights café favourites like Risers House (the café everyone’s talking about, beside the golf course), North Café (next to a working stables, with thoroughbred Arabian horses), Cyclist Café (a hidden neighbourhood gem with acai and poke bowls), and Al Hish Farm (a tranquil A-frame café 25 minutes from the city with horse carriage rides and excellent brownies).

High-end picks include Bar du Port Beach (Chef Hadi Saroufim’s ambitious new beachfront restaurant beside the InterContinental, built around a state-of-the-art pizza oven), Farmhouse by Syrco (fine dining reached by golf buggy through the Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi’s free-roaming gazelles and oryx), Ula (a Mykonos-meets-Tulum Mediterranean spot within the Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island), and Zuma (the brand’s pop-up at Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi Desert, extended to April 2027, with firepits and rolling dunes).

For local tip-offs, don’t miss Fanar Bakery’s Dhs3.50 Afghani-style stuffed bread straight from a pit oven, Qasr Al Afghan’s communal floor-seated platters of grilled lamb chops and kebabs, and Mannoor, reputedly the oldest café in the UAE, by the Creek — a living time-capsule of backgammon games and karak tea ordered by car horn.

Whether you’re booking a family beach escape, planning a foodie weekend in RAK, trying a new creative hobby, or just looking for an excuse to leave the city this summer – the Northern Emirates have it covered. Read the full issue here.

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